Sun hat



Dec. 30, 1952 A. PROVITOLA ET AL SUN HAT Filed May 11, 1948 INVENTORS ANTHO/V) PRO V/729A/4' A/wvA ZV /For/nozA ATawvT A rroie/vsy Patented Dec. 30, 1952 *SUN HAT Anthony Provitolazand Anna T. Provitola, .New .York, N. Y.

Applieation Mayll, 1948,"Serial N0. 26,378

8 Claims.

11 invention relatesiparticularlyito a .sun hat which may be folded when-not being worn,

Among the purposes and objects of OllIjillVGIltion is to provide asun hat which is circular like a coolie hat when unfolded for useand ,fan like when folded.

Another object is to provide a hat having radial ribs each having a non-circular aperture to receive ,a ring having a non-circular.crosssection WhiChWillilflQt turn in the aperturedlribs or stiffeningmembersto :hold the hat in its somewhat fiat shape when unfolded.

An objecttis to provide a hat'having-a plurality of radial ribs, two of the ribs having fastening means detachably securing .the .adjacent radial edges of :the .hatand :when .unfastened to permit the segments of the hat-to be foldeditogether.

An object is .toprovide .a .hat in which the top is divided into a, plurality of segments defined by reinforcing ribs .or members'and 'foldable at each member andmid Way between said members: as an accordion or'lfan.

Still another object is toprovide a ring slidable in-,non-circular apertures in a plurality of segmentally disposed members or ribs and .nonrotatable ,inzsaid .apertured ribs orstiffeningmemhers.

An object is toprovide relativelystifi reinforcement members radially disposed asribsfora hat; each member havin anaperture which permits it to slide circumferentiallyron and around a ring and :not to :rotatexradially on a circumferential axis within the material of which the ring is formed,

We accomplish these and .other objects by the construction herein described and shown in the drawing which formsa part of this our disclosure.

In .the'drawing Fig. 1 is atop plan viewof our hat.

Fig. 2. is a side elevational view .of our hat when folded.

.Fig.:3 'is an elevational view ofthe edge of our hat whenfolded.

Fig. .4 is a bottom plan view of .our fhat.

Figs-5, 6 and 7 are details of several modifications showing several shapes of apertures in the reenforcements for the ribs of our hats.

Fig. 8 isaperspective view showing theapplication of our hat.

.Figs. ,9 and 10 are details of .a ring,

Fig. ,11 is a section at Hl.l, Fig. .1.

Collapsible or foldable .hats .are commonly known, particularly such as softsportshats as well as toppers for men's wear. Sun hats for women are di-fiicult toxfold into a smallsizeand are usually too large to hold their shapevlloen. on the wearer. Weovercome the disadvantages .of Ordinarysunhats by our invention of a novel sun hat which isneat and attractive in appearance and which is quickly and easily foldable into a compact attractive unit which does not havethe appearance of a hat when not in use-asa hat.

We have not attempted to show :all possible modifications of our invention but ratherhave described a preferred embodiment in detail so that one skilled in the art may more readily understand the construction. Modifications may suggest themselveszafter a study :of this, our 11180105- ure.

Thepreciseness of the detailed descriptioniand the preciseness of thedrawings are not intended to limit the scope of our invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings we have shown a fabric body or cover I substantially circular :in contour cut out 2 at the center and severed on a radial line 3 from thecenter to the peripheryll. The cut out center and the periphery arefinis'hed with edging 5 and 6. .The hat may befoldedlike a fan with the reinforcing members, one upon the other, whennotin use as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe drawing.

Adjacent the severed radial .edges 1 the material of thecoveris folded'backcupon itself and stitched at 1 at eachmargin thus formed to provide ahol low hem 8 to receive the stiffening memberorreenforcements 8' through which the apertures 9 are spaced apart to conform to the apertures through the hollow turned over hem to receive the fasteners III which are preferably of the type commonly known as snap fasteners.

In addition tothe apertures 9.for the fasteners l0 each reenforcement member 8':is provided-with the irregular shapedaperture ll whichconforms to the cross section of thelflattened material 12 of the ring [2 to prevent the member from turning radially on the rin whichmay freely slide circumferentiallywithin theaperture. The aperture is shown as azrectangle or elongated slit in Fig. :5 .of the drawing to conform to the rectangular cross section of the ring as shown in Fig. 10 of the drawing. The shape of the aperture-and theconforming cross section of the flattenedmaterial of the ring may vary as, for example, a cross I I" as shown in Fig. 7-.or anyot-her shape of aperture as H as shown in Fig 6 for instance. The aperture and ring section combine to prevent the ring from turning within the apertured member 8 or [3 and thus prevent the hat from drooping or collapsing on theheadof-the Wearer'whenthe hat is unfolded or extended as when being worn.

The members 8, which border the edges of the radial line on which the cover is severed, are not the only members which reenforce the cover a plurality of additional radial stiffening members [3 which are preferably housed within the ridges or radial folds I4 which divide the cover into a plurality of foldable segmental areas [5 each divided and reverse folded again at I6 between the ridges or folds [4, as accordion plaiting to permit the hat to be folded up as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each member l3 within the folds I4 is provided with an irregular aperture I l, l I, or I I" to conform with the cross section of the flattened ring or so shaped as to prevent the ring from turning within the apertured members 8' and [3 thus to hold the hat in its extended shape. The members 8 or l3 may be secured at spaced radial intervals in numerous ways or the hat may be made of segments stitched together to provide the folds to house said members In folding our hat the ring section slides around within each aperture such as H, H and H" of the stiffening members 8' and i3 and the segments are folded at each fold I4 and H3 in much the same manner as the folds of an accordion or camera bellows and the ring, when the cover is folded, extends beyond the margin or edging 5 formed by the cut out center 2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Tie ribbons or the like I! and I8 are preferably secured at one end by the stitching of two of the radial folds 14 disposed substantially opposite to each other on the under or inside when our hat is unfolded ready for use, at [9 and 20. The free ends are tied to hold the hat on the wearer as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The materials and size of the parts may vary to suit the various uses for which our sun hat may be adapted.

The word non-circular, as applied to the apertures in the ribs or stiffening members and also to the cross section of the material of the ring which engages the members in the apertures thereof, is intended herein to define any irregular shape which prevents the member from rotating about the ring section or from being moved any substantial amount as when the members are extended outwardly as shown in Fig. 8 or as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 as contrasted from Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. Thus the ring or the members may be slidingly moved in relation to each other but the members may not be rotated about the material forming the ring as a section across the periphery.

The word non-circular as applied to the ring section and also to the apertures in the members which receive the ring section is here defined as a shape or contour which prevents the rib so apertured and the ring section from being moved or rotated substantially about the axis of the ring section. A circular section having a key is within the-meaning of non-circular or likewise a circular section leaving a key Way or grooves is, when cooperatin with a conforming aperture or mating part, as effective as the flattened ring section shown.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letter Patent is set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a foldable hat having a flexible cover, a plurality of radially disposed members having irregular apertures for holding the cover in its extended position, a ring having irregular shaped cross section engaging said apertures and cooperating therewith to permit said members to slide on the periphery of said ring to an adjacent alongside position to fold said hat when not in use, said cover having a slit extending from its center to its periphery, said members being secured to said cover in spaced relationship and radially disposed when said hat is in its extended position and means detachably securing the edges defining said slit together and detachable to permit said members to slide around the periphery of said ring.

2. A hat comprising a plurality of radial stiffening members and a cover, a part of each of said members having non-circular apertures and a. ring slidable in said apertures having a cross section non-circular and non-rotatable in said apertures to hold said hat by said members in its extended position as when in use.

3. A hat comprising a flexible cover, members having irregular apertures for supporting said cover, a ring on which said members are movable from a spaced radial relationship, when supporting the cover, to a parallel adjacent relationship when the cover is folded, said ring having a periphery, so shaped in cross section and irregular to conform to said irregular apertures to support a part of said members and said cover, said ring and the apertures in said members permitting the members to slide from one relationship to the other.

4. A hat comprising a flexible cover, members having irregular apertures for supporting said cover, a ring on which said members are movable from a spaced radial relationship, when supporting the cover, to a parallel adjacent relationship when the cover is folded, said ring having a periphery, so shaped in cross-section and irregular to conform to said irregular apertures to support a part of said members and said cover.

5. A ring support and ribs for hats and the like mounted on said ring support, said ribs having irregular apertures and said ring of said support having a conforming irregular periphery to hold said ribs in an extended spaced relationship radially by engaging said apertures, said ribs being slidable about said ring to a parallel adjacent relationship when not extended.

6. In a hat, a flexible cover comprising a plurality of segments which combine to form substantially a circular outer periphery for said hat and a plurality of radially disposed members secured to said cover and defining said segments for stiffenin said hat, said members each having a noncircular aperture between the center and one end of said member, a ring having conforming noncircular ring section cooperating with said noncircular apertures to hold said hat cover in its extended position and to prevent said hat from collapsing, said members being slidable around said ring to permit said members and cover to be brought together to fold said cover of said hat.

7. In a foldable hat having a flexible cover substantially circular at its periphery, when extended, and a plurality of members radially disposed and secured to stiffen said cover, said memslidable within said irregular apertures of said members and cooperating therewith to hold said 7 members and cover in the extended position.

5 8. In a frame for hats and the like, rib members extendable from their position alongside each other in parallel relationship as when out of use, to a radially extended position, a ring having an irregular cross section throughout the entire periphery of said ring, said members each having an irregular aperture cooperating with said irregular ring cross section to hold said members in the extended radial relationship, said irregular apertures engaging any part of the periphery of said irregular ring cross section to permit said members to slide around said ring to said alongside parallel relationship.

ANTHONY PROVITOLA.

ANNA T. PROVITOLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 

